World Religions

Introduction to World Religions Study Guide Many individuals are drawn to Buddhism given the fast pace of life and high stress levels. They become interested in the peacefulness of Buddhism. Some of the interest stems from the desire to meditate to overcome stress and anxiety, deepening one’s personal spiritual experience. One form of Western Buddhism is Kadampa Buddhism. It was first introduced in the west in 1976 by Buddhist Master Venerable Geshe Keisang Gyatso. 4.12 Demographics Estimates indicate that Buddhism is the fourth largest religion in the world behind Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism. Sangha, the monks’ order, which was founded during the lifetime of the Buddha, is the oldest organization on earth. Buddhism was the first world religion and the world’s largest religion. In 1951, Buddhism was the world’s largest religion, with 520 million adherents; Christianity was the second largest religion, with 500 million adherents. Theravada Buddhism is the dominant form of Buddhism in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Burma. There are approximately 124 million adherents. Mahayana Buddhism is an East Asian form that uses Chinese scriptures, and is dominant in most of China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Vietnam, and in communities within Indochina, Southeast Asia, and the West. The major concentration of Mahayana Buddhism is in Southeast Asia, where there are approximately 500 million to 1 billion followers. Vajrayana, or Tibetan Buddhism, is found in Bhutan, Nepal, Mongolia, and areas of India, China (Tibet and Inner Mongolia), and Russia. There are approximately 20 million adherents.

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